Getting hit with a shinai isn't all that uncommon in Kyokushin, if they're being old school about it.
There's even a kata that's all about focus where they beat the **** out of you with a shinai while they're testing you on it, and smack you in the ass too.
If you use your safeword, you fail the ranking.

I've put up with a lot of abuse in Judo, but never had anybody go after me with a shiai or other weapon. I've seen old photos with judo sensei with shinai, though.

As a instructor, I'd be embarassed to carry one around, but that's just me.

Ben

Falling for Judo since 1980

"You are wrong. Why? Because you move like a pregnant yak and talk like a spazzing 'I train UFC' noob." -DCS

I've put up with a lot of abuse in Judo, but never had anybody go after me with a shiai or other weapon. I've seen old photos with judo sensei with shinai, though.

As a instructor, I'd be embarassed to carry one around, but that's just me.

Ben

When my coach was in Japan training at one of the universities he was giving one of the Japs a hard time. This kid got called over by, none other than Yamashita himself, given a dressing down and couple of accompanying whacks with a cane. The kid then got sent back out to carry on fighting with my coach.

My coach let him catch him a few times in places on the mat where Yamashita could see.

Kenshiro Abbe used to correct his students' form by whacking them over the head with a bokken, didn't he? Well, according to the legend, anyway.

Said something like "Abbe's English not good - bokken speak perfect English".

I'm trying to find that vid of a Judo kid lying on the mats with his toe dislocated/torn and the bone sticking out (may have been deleted now - it's the one where his buddies are trying to joke with him about it to stop him freaking out, if you've seen it). I think he got his toe stuck down between one of the cracks between the mats when he landed from a throw. Absolutely horrible.

It isn't abuse like you see on that video of the wrestler guy who is harming his students. Usually they walk around and just give a tap on someone's leg to tell them that they need to move it out more, or what-have-you.

The hard strikes are for high ranks mostly, or toughening- teaching a person to tighten their muscles, and teaching them to endure a bit of pain. It's part of why we Kyokushin people are such tanks, able to withstand some pretty hard hits- because we hit each other in class so much. The shinai whacking is sort of phasing out of popularity at this point, but you still see it in some dojos. I've yet to see anyone pushed beyond their actual limits with something like that, except the time I accidentally made that brown belt cry while we were trading backfists to the chest. I still feel bad about that.

Really in Sanchin Kyokushin style, they are hitting you with the shinai to make sure all your muscles are tense and to test your focus. It isn't a "see if we can break her" kind of thing. It's a "see if we can break her focus" kind of thing. They try to annoy you out of your focus, essentially.

Kenshiro Abbe used to correct his students' form by whacking them over the head with a bokken, didn't he? Well, according to the legend, anyway.

Said something like "Abbe's English not good - bokken speak perfect English".

I'm trying to find that vid of a Judo kid lying on the mats with his toe dislocated/torn and the bone sticking out (may have been deleted now - it's the one where his buddies are trying to joke with him about it to stop him freaking out, if you've seen it). I think he got his toe stuck down between one of the cracks between the mats when he landed from a throw. Absolutely horrible.

When I broke my shoulder my mates gathered around taking the piss and telling the tournament doctor that I was just being a *****. This carried on into the waiting room at A&E and when I got out...

BKR at the time the instructor was the lowest ranked in the Dojo he ran the class that day and the students were told avoid the shinai strike by rolling or how ever you can. I have never seen any other instructor do this. I did not get my thumb out of the way. Professor told him no more of that!

BKR at the time the instructor was the lowest ranked in the Dojo he ran the class that day and the students were told avoid the shinai strike by rolling or how ever you can. I have never seen any other instructor do this.